Apple participates in its final Macworld

Apple has confirmed that this will be the last year it will participate in the hugely popular tech event, Macworld.

The show, which will run from January 5 – 9 in San Francisco, has had a strong Apple following for years. Expectations are now running high on what the company will showcase and present at the event.

Turning away from trade shows, Apple believes that increasing popularity of its website and retail stores are better able to reach its customers.

“Apple is reaching more people in more ways than ever before, so like many companies, trade shows have become a very minor part of how Apple reaches its customers,” it said in a company statement.

While the news has come as a surprise to some, Apple has noticeably scaled back on other trade shows recently.Another blow to the event was confirmation that CEO Steve Jobs would not be delivering the keynote address as is the custom. It fuelled rumours that Jobs’ ill health was to blame, forcing him to issue an open letter yesterday that admitted weight loss due to a ‘hormone imbalance’.

While he undergoes treatment, he’s reassured members of the Apple community that he will continue as CEO and “…will always put what is best for Apple first.”

He ends the note with “…I’ve said more than I wanted to say, and all that I am going to say, about this”.